Mets at Padres
Jason Vargas makes his debut with the New York Mets on Saturday as he returns from a broken right hand to face the host San Diego Padres in the middle contest of their three-game series. The veteran hurler, who signed with the Mets as a free agent in the offseason, underwent surgery on the hand on March 20 and is back in the majors after throwing 66 pitches in Monday's rehab start.
Vargas won a career-best 18 games and was an All-Star for the first time last season while with Kansas City. He cashed in by signing a two-year, $16 million deal over the winter and figures to eventually be the No. 3 starter behind Noah Syndergaard and Jacob deGrom. Asdrubal Cabrera belted a three-run homer as the Mets posted a 5-1 victory in the series opener, and the 32-year-old finished with two hits for his fifth multi-hit performance in nine games. San Diego's Eric Hosmer went 0-for-3 with a walk in his return after a two-game absence due to family reasons and has registered only four RBIs in 88 at-bats.
TV: 8:40 p.m. ET, WPIX (New York), FS San Diego
PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets LH Jason Vargas (2017: 18-11, 4.16 ERA) vs. Padres LH Joey Lucchesi (2-1, 2.70)
Vargas is facing the Padres for the first time in nearly seven years, when he tossed a six-hit shutout on July 1, 2011 while with Seattle. Overall, the 35-year-old is 2-1 with a 2.39 ERA in four career starts against San Diego, with the setback coming in his lone outing at Petco Park. Vargas regularly shut down Hosmer (1-for-13) before the two became teammates in Kansas City.
Lucchesi is coming off a rough outing in which he gave up four runs on five hits and four walks in five innings of a loss to Arizona. The 24-year-old put together three solid starts prior to the defeat as he went 2-0 and allowed just one earned run in 17 frames. Lucchesi also struck out 24 batters during that stretch, including nine in six innings of a victory over San Francisco.
WALK-OFFS
1. Padres 3B Christian Villanueva (hamstring) went 1-for-4 on Friday after missing the previous three games.
2. New York claimed LHP Buddy Baumann off waivers from the Padres and plan to option him to Triple-A Las Vegas, recalled Jacob Rhame from the 51s and optioned fellow RHP Corey Oswalt to the club.
3. San Diego optioned INF Cory Spangenberg to Triple-A El Paso to clear room on the roster for Hosmer.